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Recent Blog Posts
When Can a Stepparent Adopt a Stepchild?
A child’s well-being should be the top priority for parents going through a divorce. They should want their child to have everything they need throughout the stages of their life. However, often one parent can be substandard in their compliance with the parenting plan agreed upon with their former partner.
After a while of trying to get a co-parent to show up for visitations, send support payments, or just call to talk to a child, they may give up and choose to have a new partner - the child’s stepparent - adopt the little one.
Stepparents adopting their stepchild is not uncommon especially when a biological parent:
- Is abusive
- Is an alcoholic or a drug addict
- Does not show up to scheduled visitations
- Does not financially support a child
- Is convicted of a crime that will see them in prison for a long period of time
Can Unmarried Couples Settle Child Issues through Mediation?
Most of the courts in Illinois require a couple to go through mediation in cases involving allocation of parental responsibilities, visitation, and relocation before going through the court system. Child support will still be determined by the family court judge, however, all other issues can be settled in mediation.
This right is also given to unmarried parents, but there is an extra step that the couple must go through before heading to mediation.
When a couple has a child without being married, paternity cannot be assumed. It must be proven either through a court-ordered paternity test or a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) form that can be filled out and filed at the time of a child’s birth.
If a father claims the child and all the proper paperwork is filed, the couple can go through a mediator to determine the allocation of parental responsibilities including:
Moving with a Child After an Illinois Divorce
Illinois law went through a change in 2016 in regards to parents relocating with their child after going through a divorce. Prior to the law change, the parent with physical custody of the child was allowed to move within the state whenever they wished.
According to the new law, a parent must get permission from the court if their relocation is over 25 miles from the current address. In some cases, the 25 miles could take the parent and child over Illinois state limits.
What Is the Process to Petition for Relocation?
The Illinois court system likes to make sure that a child is able to see both parents after a divorce takes place. If one parent moves out of state, the other may not get as much of a chance to bond with their child and a parenting plan can become difficult to maintain.
A lot of relocation cases can be handled civilly with both parents agreeing to the relocation and signing the necessary paperwork to avoid court. However, if the non-custodial parent feels like their time with their children are in jeopardy, they can refuse to sign the paperwork. This would lead the primary parent to file a petition for relocation to family court.
When Should an Order of Protection be Filed During a Divorce?
When the process of a divorce is civil, there is no need for the court to order a partner or parent to stay away from the household. However, when there is domestic violence present in the relationship(s), the victim and/or parent of the victim can petition family court for an order of protection until the divorce process is concluded - or sometimes even further.
Understanding Orders of Protection
Domestic violence is a serious reason why some partners choose to split. However, if the abuser is unhappy about their partner choosing to leave, the abuse can sometimes escalate. If this happens, the victim is encouraged to file for an order of protection which will eliminate contact between victim and abuser during their divorce. This includes:
- Phone calls
- Emails
- Text messages
- Physical proximity to each other
Parenting Time During the Holidays
With summer over, the holidays are just around the corner and families are starting to make their holiday plans. Parents who have recently divorced often worry that they will not get to share in the bonding moments with their children because of custody reasons.
The state of Illinois does not restrict parental visitations unless they are not in the child’s best interest. The topic of holiday celebrations is left up to the parents’ decision which can be talked about through mediation or on their own.
There are several strategies to come to an agreement that everyone can be happy with:
- Alternate who the child(ren) spend the holidays with from year to year - make sure to specify which holidays are in question.
- Split the day; for example, Mom spends Christmas morning with the children and Dad spends Christmas evening with the children.
How Is Child Custody Determined in Same-Sex Divorce?
It has been slow going, but the LGBTQ community is steadily gaining more and more equal rights as everybody else. It has been three years now since marriage between same-sex partners has been legal nationwide, but some legal issues are still more difficult for an LGBTQ couple than a heterosexual couple. In the case of divorce, the process of child custody determination is more difficult for a same-sex couple especially if the child is being shared by two fathers.
Illinois Parentage Act of 2015
When same-sex marriage became legal in 2015, the state of Illinois also passed the Parentage Act which provides a guideline when it comes to child custody. The act includes changes in language to suit same-sex marriages; now, there is a gender-neutral presumption of parentage in that a child can have a relationship with another parent other than its mother, but that adult does not have to be male.
How Child Support Payments Are Calculated in Illinois
In 2017, Illinois lawmakers changed the way family courts determine child support payments. These changes followed some other significant modifications to the state's laws which redefined child custody and visitation as the allocation of parental responsibility and parenting time. Divorcing parents should be sure to understand their child support obligations and the methods used to determine the amount of child support payments.
Parents’ Combined Income
Before the change in the law, child support payments were determined using a fairly simple calculation that was based on a fixed percentage of the income earned by the non-custodial parent. Under the new laws, child support payments are calculated based on the combined income of both parents. The courts will determine a child support obligation based on what a married couple who earns that combined income would typically spend to care for their child or children. Each parent will be responsible for a certain portion of that obligation based on their percentage of the combined income.
Can a Parenting Plan be Modified in Illinois?
Instead of classifying types of child custody as “joint” - between two parents - or “sole - between one parent - the state of Illinois practices allocation of parental responsibilities. This means that during a divorce, the family court judge and the parents involved will set the terms of a parenting plan that decides who will be the main decision-maker for the children, what amount of time each parent will get with their children, and the rules for when a plan can be modified.
Generally, a parent cannot petition to modify a parenting plan for two years from the date the document was finalized. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act says that parenting plans can only be modified sooner if the child’s physical, emotional, and/or mental well-being is in danger. This can be determined through the enforcement of parental responsibilities.
What Is the Purpose of a Postnuptial Agreement?
Many people have heard of prenuptial agreements; however, few know what a postnuptial agreement is. The two are similar but have different time frames when creating them. A “prenup” is a legal document that lays out every part of your marriage and has legal guidelines in the case of divorce. In the past, prenups were reserved for those with extremely high assets, but overtime prenups have become more common. “Postnups” have also begun to rise in popularity. These legal documents are constructed after marriage rather than beforehand. To some, this may seem like a bad omen, but for many, this is reassurance for an unpredictable future.
Common Reasons People Sign a Postnup
The idea of signing an agreement after the wedding is not for everyone; however, there are many situations that warrant it. One of the primary reasons individuals sign postnups is because they did not sign a prenup in time. Prenuptial agreements must be signed three months before the wedding day to verify that both parties signed it willingly. This time sensitivity exists to avoid having wedding jitters as the motivation for the document. Waiting to sign the documents until after the wedding celebration can be a good way to ensure that a postnup is in the best interest of both parties.
Where Should I Look for Hidden Assets During My Divorce?
The two areas that cause the most deliberation in divorce cases is child custody arrangements and the division of assets. Going through your finances and properties can cause ugly sides to come out of divorcing couples. Some will claim that certain assets are theirs alone while others will complain that they are not receiving enough in the division process. In Illinois, all marital assets are eligible for equal distribution between both spouses. This can seem unfair to the spouse that is the primary breadwinner of the house or can cause panic for the spouse that relies on these assets to get by after the divorce. These mix of emotions can cause spouses to make illegal attempts to conceal assets.
Common Hiding Places
Hiding assets is not typically done by putting wads of cash in the cookie jar. There are various common tactics used that can attempt to avoid a paper trail of evidence:
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